Space, the Fatal Frontier.
This is a mostly spoiler-free review of The Expanse: Season 2. That is, until the end of the piece, where a spoiler warning will be provided.
I really like how The Expanse is dosed out, season-wise, in relation to the book series that's being adapted. Granted, I haven't read the books, but I feel like the idea of not taking the "one book equals one season" approach is working really well for the show.
The decision not to cram too much, or cut important things, so that the opening novel, Leviathan Wakes, didn't have to fit into the first 10 episodes -- or, to that extent, the second book Caliban's War didn't have to square peg into Season 2 -- is a rewarding display of restraint. And this is a series that benefits greatly from patience. Spending time with characters who may not grab you right away is kind of this show's secret weapon. Because eventually they will. And in Season 2, the crew of the Roci really came into their own in wonderfully engaging ways.
Plus, because Season 1 didn't finish Leviathan Wakes, Season 2 got to kick things off by heading toward a climax - one that would create an exciting and emotional five episode arc involving the Roci crew returning to Eros, helping mold the season into two halves almost. This technique also allowed the show to introduce Frankie Adams' Bobbie Draper character in a way that permitted her to properly blossom into what we wound up witnessing in the final episodes of this year's run.
Basically, the fact that Season 2 was still continuing a lot of Season 1's story helped ease some of the growing pains involved in bringing in a totally new character and setting. And then once Episode 5, "Home," was over, Draper's story could rev up with the mysterious Ganymede incident that would then fuel the remainder of the season.
The Expanse's story is complex, and yet not. It's a conspiracy thriller, in most regards, but one where not too much us hidden from us. We know the major players and we've known two of the major conspirators almost from the get go. The protomolecule is the wild card here and "incidents" surrounding it, or due to it, are what wind up hurling the story off in new directions. The fact that no one "in the know" really realizes the full extent of what they're trying to harness gives this show a dramatic edge.
Also, we're basically watching characters on a grounded sci-fi show that showcases advanced technology and space travel experience extra-terrestrial life for the first time. It's like how Game of Thrones' fantasy elements aren't exactly known to everyone living in, say, Westeros. Once those White Walkers come calling to the world south of the Wall, a lot of people are going to s*** their britches.
The Expanse's second season embraced Holden's budding relationship with Nagata, so that it could become something meaningful by the finale, while also expanding upon Burton's sociopathic qualities, giving him a heightened sense of self-awareness and sympathy. Down on Earth, the politics became a bit more understandable and accessible with regards to Avasarala and Errinwright, as they both had to deal with very tangible crises - in the form of the near Eros collision and the horrific Ganymede open fire. Things got so dicey from a cosmic catastrophe standpoint that, by the end, Avasarala got to head out into space and be a part of the action herself.
Two standout characters this year, simply because they were outliers of a sort, were Draper and Miller. Miller's quest to find Julie Mao came to a stunning, show-changing conclusion - one that was massive in scope, but also very intimate and emotional. Draper, on the other hand, went through a huge shift of her own thanks to some bureaucratic betrayal from her own government, leaving her off at almost a total 180 point by the end of the finale.
Warning: the following paragraphs contain major spoilers for Season 2! Slip to the Verdict if you want to avoid.
As I mentioned back in the opening paragraphs, I like how these seasons are structured. Not having to use a book's actual end point as a seasonal end point gave the writers some wiggle room when it came to how they wanted to close things out for the year. Running two simultaneous situations - one involving the Roci crew dealing with a stowaway creature and the other a fierce standoff that allowed Draper to become a hero to, of all people, Avasarala and Cotyar -- was a great way to wrap things up. It felt big without the season having to swell and "go big" by the end. They were closed-quarters, intimate dangers that involved teamwork and trust.
Miller's fate, tied to one Julie Mao, felt like a fitting end for his tale of Belter redemption. That's not to say that the story couldn't figure out a way to bring him back in some form (I mean, something's happening over on Venus), but if this was to be his show exit, it was a hell of a ride. These are characters who constantly put themselves in potentially sacrificial situations so it was fun to see that element pay off. Plus, even if Miller does come back, just him leaving the season less than halfway through made room for other characters, perhaps less initially charismatic ones, to take the reins a bit more and prove themselves. So even as a seasonal exit, it was very effective.
The Verdict
The Expanse improved in its second season, delivering quality moments both big and small, human-made and alien-created, to deepen the mystery, grow the tension between Mars and Earth, and enrich the characters.
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